Recently, we’ve come across some (in our opinion) inappropriate fan behavior towards our favourite celebrities, which we do not tolerate. As fans ourselves, we thought we should do something about it.

According to the free online dictionary a fan is ‘an ardent admirer, a devotee’, which basically means a person who loves passionately. The lack of words like ‘nag’, ‘abuse’, ‘hate’, etc. in that definition led us to creating this Fan Code with a few simple rules for how it’s best to (or not to) treat your favourites.

(Since our communication with the Original Five is mostly on Twitter, we’ve focused on fans’ behavior there.)

Fan Code

1. Do not spam. Sending your favourite celebrity a tweet once or twice is just fine. If they didn’t respond the first time, they’d hardly do it after the 100th. No one likes listening to a ‘broken record.’
2. Do not flood them with your arts. Yes, I know, you did it especially for them and it would mean the world to you if they saw and commented. But keep in mind there are thousands of other people feeling the same way. They can’t respond to all. And at some point it gets annoying sending the same thing over and over again. (See 1.)
3. Do not ask for a follow. First of all, stars hardly follow fans. Just save yourself the trouble of asking. Second, if someone wants to follow you, they’d do it because of what you tweet about, not because you asked. Do not forget the basic nature of Twitter.
4. Do not guilt trip. A tweet like ‘If you do not reply, I’ll jump off a building’ is not the way to get their attention. Be positive. People tend to like communicating with bright people.
5. Do not demand. Remember that being a fan is your own choice. Celebrities do not owe you anything more than what they’re giving you by being good at what they do. As much as they may want to interact, that being on twitter, a convention or any other place, they’ve got other things to do as well. Show some understanding.
6. Do not butt in their personal life. You’re a fan, became one because of what they do for living. What they do outside the set or stage is none of your business. Gossip may sometimes be fun but keep it among your friends. You wouldn’t like it if strangers begun asking you questions about your personal life, would you? Let along giving you advice when they hardly know you.
7. Do not abuse. Show some respect. They are people, you know.
8. Do not hate. You can’t call yourself a fan if you hate your star. It’s against the definition of the word fan. If you’re not satisfied with something they did, share it in a polite manner. Or better keep it to yourself. It’s their life and how they live it is up to them.
9. Do not take it out on other fans for getting their favourite star’s attention. If they did it’s because they were more creative or fun. Try that instead.
10. Show your love. That is the fan’s job in the first place. Celebrities make us, fans, happy with their work. Return the favour by showing your support.

This Fan Code is not a law. It’s not an obligation. You won’t get fined if you do not follow the rules. But spare five minutes to think about it. If we want to be treated well by our favourites, shouldn’t we do the same with them? Instead of giving them hard time for not doing what we want, isn’t it better if we do our best to make them happy? Give a smile to get a smile back! ;)